Communication cables and in particular coaxial cables used for the transmission of information are commonplace and used in a multitude of environments. The electronics, telecommunications, and cable television industries utilize a variety of cables and wires to perform various jobs. Each cable or wire may have variously sized connectors based upon either an industry standard or in some cases a proprietary manufacturing standard. The industry has used compression tools to attach various sizes and types of connectors onto cables. Ordinary compression tools include a force bearing connector seat having cable retaining features and/or connector retaining features to help properly align the cable and/or connector during tool compression. Accordingly, disadvantages of common compression tools arise because the standard tools must include retaining mechanisms which are sturdy enough to bear high compression forces and precise enough to ensure proper cable and/or connector alignment during each tool compression cycle; and yet the retaining devices must be easily movable so as not to make insertion and removal of the cable and/or connector difficult. Thus, ordinary compression tool cable/connector retaining apparatus tend to be robust having complex designs with multiple parts and costly manufacture and assembly requirements. The instant invention addresses the abovementioned drawbacks pertinent to typical compression tools having common coaxial cable and/or coaxial cable connector retaining devices.